Venereal Diseases in New Zealand (1922) eBook

Owing to the absence of accurate statistics it is
impossible to make comparisons between New Zealand
and other countries as regards the prevalence of venereal
disease, or to say whether it is increasing or decreasing
in this country.

There are in New Zealand no fewer than 3,031 persons
being treated by registered medical practitioners
for venereal disease in some form, or for the effects
thereof—­1 person in every 428 of our population.
At the clinics since their establishment 3,634 patients
have been treated—­3,038 males, 596 females.

An interesting calculation as to the prevalence of
syphilis in New Zealand has been made by Dr. Hay,
Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals. Working
on what is known as Fournier’s Index—­the
relation of the number of cases of dementia paralytica
existing at any one time to the number of concurrent
syphilitic infectious—­he computes the number
of persons in New Zealand now who have or have had
syphilis to be 33,000, or 1 to every 38 of the population.

The Committee desire to state, however, that in their
opinion there can be no accurate estimate of the prevalence
of venereal disease until some system of obtaining
accurate statistics has been adopted. One point
which has come out clearly in their investigations
is that venereal disease is sufficiently prevalent
to cause serious concern and to call for energetic
action.

Evidence was given to the Committee to show that children
with mental and physical defects due to venereal diseases
may become a charge on the State; that a proportion
of these on being released become parents of defective
children, who in their turn have to be supported at
the public expense. It was also shown that such
defectives have little sexual control, and are usually
very prolific.

According to the Commissioner of Police there are
only 104 professional prostitutes in New Zealand.

There is, however, a great deal of “amateur”
prostitution, and this is chiefly responsible for
the spread of venereal diseases.

The evidence points to a good deal of laxity of conduct
among young people of all social conditions, especially
in the large towns. This is generally attributed
by the witnesses to the weakening of home influence
and the restlessness of the age.

Apart from the venereal disease among those who indulge
in promiscuous intercourse, there are many cases in
which innocent wives are infected by their husbands,
and other cases (not so frequent) of innocent husbands
being infected by their wives.

Children suffer innocently from venereal disease,
not only by inheritance from infected parents, but
by accidently coming in contact with the germs on
towels, &c., which have been used by a patient.
There are also cases which come before the Courts
where disease has been conveyed directly in crimes
of violence by sexual perverts.

The free clinics in the chief centres are conducted
by experts, and are doing good work. Their influence
for good is greatly impaired, however, by the fact
that a proportion of the male patients and the majority
of the female patients leave off treatment before
they are cured. As the law stands there is no
power to compel them to continue treatment, and in
many cases they resume promiscuous intercourse and
spread the disease.